Synopses & Reviews
While the Wright Brothers were
gliding over Kitty Hawk, the charming Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont was making his own mark on the history of flight.
Alberto loved floating over Paris in his personal flying machine called a dirigible. He would tie it to a post, climb down, and spend the day shopping or meeting friends for coffee. But he wanted to make his invention even better. By 1906, Alberto had transformed his balloon into a box with wings! But now there was competition. Another inventor challenged Alberto to see who would be the first in flight. Albertoand#8217;s hard work paid off, and his airplane successfully soared into the air, making him the first pilot to lift off and land a completely self-propelled plane.
The book includes an authorand#8217;s note about Santos-Dumont, a bibliography, an index, and photographs of his flying machines.
Praise for Fabulous Flyingand#160;Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont
and#8220;At the turn of the last century, all sorts of ambitious and eccentric men were competing furiously to get the first airplane into the sky. One of the most famous of these was a dashing Brazilian who lived in Paris and, to wide admiration, did his errands by airship. Victoria Griffith tells his storyand#8230;which is illustrated with panache in rich, smudgy oils and pastels by Italian artist Eva Montanari.and#8221; and#8211;Wall Street Journal
"An excellent read-aloud, this picture book is a must when studying the history of flight and can be used as a resource for research, a book for all your reading needs!" -Library Media Connection
and#8220;Montanariand#8217;s chalky illustrations are distinguished by a strong sense of motion, and the storyand#8217;s suspense (rival pilots! harrowing landings!) and surprise cameos (Louis Cartier!) make this an elegant tribute to a hero of early aviation.and#8221; and#8211;Publishers Weekly
and#8220;Strong vertical trim and layout, which one would expect to exploit sweeping skyscapes, are instead cleverly deployed to put viewers among the earthbound spectators, most often glimpsing the aviator in the distance. A bibliography and brief index round out the title, which will be a first choice for aviation enthusiasts.and#8221; and#8211;The Bulletin of the Center for Childrenand#8217;s Books
"A generous spirit and penchant for grand gestures make him [Santos-Dumont] all the more worth knowingand#8212;particularly for American audiences unaware that there is any question about who was the first to fly. and#8211;Kirkus Reviews
and#8220;Montanari captures the look, dress, and formality of the era in her splendid, impressionistic pastel, chalk, and oil paintings. The endnotes add details and facts about the life of this charismatic, adventurous man and mark his place in aviation history.and#8221; and#8211;School Library Journal
and#8220;Even if youand#8217;ve never heard of Santos-Dumont, youand#8217;ll be delighted to meet this real-life historical figure in Victoria Griffithand#8217;s vivid debut picture book. This fine picture book resurrects his story in lively prose and large-scale illustrations rendered in pastels, chalks, oil pastels and oil paint, perfectly capturing the drama of the events. The fuzzy lines lend a feeling of history to the illustrations, and gestures and humorous touches, such as a dog holding the dirigibleand#8217;s tether or Alberto racing horse-drawn carriages, make Alberto Santos-Dumont and his times come alive.and#8221; and#8211;BookPage
Synopsis
The only picture book available about the father of genetics and his pea plants!How do mothers and fatherswhether they are apple trees, sheep, or humanspass down traits to their children? This question fascinated Gregor Mendel throughout his life. Regarded as the worlds first geneticist, Mendel overcame poverty and obscurity to discover one of the fundamental aspects of genetic science: animals, plants, and people all inherit and pass down traits through the same process, following the same rules.
Living the slow-paced, contemplative life of a friar, Gregor Mendel was able to conceive and put into practice his great experiment: growing multiple generations of peas. From observing yellow peas, green peas, smooth peas, and wrinkled peas, Mendel crafted his theory of heredityyears before scientists had any notion of genes.
Children will be inspired by Gregors neverending search for knowledge, and his famous experiments are easy to understand as an introduction to genetics.
Synopsis
The ever-fascinating story of the legendary pilot is given new life in this vividly told true-life adventure.
and#160;
Ever since Amelia Earhart and her plane disappeared on July 2, 1937, people have wanted to know more about this remarkable woman. Amelia Earhart follows the charismatic aviator from her first sight of an airplane at the age of ten to the last radio transmission she made before she vanished. Illustrated with original artworks, contemporary photographs, quotes, and details, this is a great introduction to the famous pilot. The book includes a bibliography and an index.
Synopsis
People, children especially, have been baffled, bewildered, and even outraged by the fact that Pluto is no longer called a planet. Through whimsical artwork and an entertaining dialogue format,
Plutoand#8217;s Secret explains the true story of this distant world. Providing a history of the small, icy world from its discovery and naming to its recent reclassification, this book presents a fascinating look at how scientists organize and classify our solar system as they gain new insights into how it works and what types of things exist within it. The book includes a glossary and bibliography.
Praise for Pluto's Secret
"Pairing a lighthearted narrative in a hand-letteredand#150;style typeface with informally drawn cartoon illustrations, this lively tale of astronomical revelations begins with the search for Planet X.and#8221;
and#151;Kirkus Reviews
"This picture book offers a fresh, positive perspective on Pluto, showing that its change of status is not a demotion but a correction."
and#151;Booklist
"Light-hearted imagining of a gregarious Pluto.and#8221;
and#151;Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Fun readingand#133; The book provides a factual history of our faraway 'dwarf,' and on its companion icy worlds, and on the discovery of Kuiper-like bands around other stars."
and#151;School Library Journal
Award
New York Public Libraryand#8217;s annual Childrenand#8217;s Books list: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2013
and#160;
Synopsis
Gregor Mendel explains to children the theory of heredity in simple-to-understand language and examples. Regarded as the worldandrsquo;s first geneticist, Gregor Mendel discovered one of the fundamental aspects of genetic science: animals, plants, and people all inherit and pass down traits through the same process. Living the slow-paced, contemplative life of a friar, Gregor Mendel was able to conceive and put into practice his great experimentandmdash;observing yellow peas, green peas, smooth peas, and wrinkled peas to craft his theoryandmdash;years before scientists had any notion of genes. Includes an authorandrsquo;s note and bibliography.
Awards for Gregor Mendel
Orbis Pictus Honor Book
ALA-ALSC Notable Book
IRA Notable Book
AAAS/Subaru SBandF Excellence in Science Book Finalist
About the Author
Margaret A. Weitekamp, PhD, curates the National Air and Space Museumand#8217;s Social and Cultural Dimensions of Spaceflight collection. She lives in Burke, Virginia. David DeVorkin, PhD, is Senior Curator, History of Astronomy and the Space Sciences, at the Museum. He lives in Kensington, Maryland. Diane Kidd is an award-winning illustrator of childrenand#8217;s books and is Early Childhood Manager at the Museum. She lives in Takoma Park, Maryland.